Agresso, a leading Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software company, announced the latest version of its back-office solution, Sabre CentralCommand v3.0 for Travel ManagementCompanies (TMCs). This fully integrated business information system provides users with the tools to compete in today's challenging marketplace.

"In today's environment, TMCs need to use every possible advantage to compete," writes PhoCusWright, Travel Industry Research Authority in a research paper on Back-office Best Practices. "TMCs that do not change their infrastructure are likely to become casualties as market competition intensifies and economic conditions worsen."

Since 2002, Sabre Travel Network and Agresso have combined their travel and ERP expertise into a modern back-office solution that is differentiated by its post-implementation agility, or the ability for business users to make ongoing changes independently in response to business change pressures, without the need to involve costly IT staff or re-implement their back-office systems.

CentralCommand with Agresso v3.0 includes new features to further streamline users' operations, ensure regulatory compliance and offer more security, improved credit card handling and agile invoicing capabilities.

Agresso has a solid leadership position in providing back-office solutions to the travel industry. When Travel Weekly, an influential trade publication for the travel industry, announced its 2009 PowerList, Agresso's stature was affirmed by the fact that 23% of the companies listed are using CentralCommand. In an industry where reorganization, mergers and acquisitions are commonplace, those companies not using CentralCommand with Agresso stand to fall victim to the pains of change management, minimal process issues, incomplete information or poor access that may disrupt business and loses customers.

"The travel industry, with its unpredictable nature has proven fertile ground for Agresso's ability to easily manage change," says Shelley Zapp, president of Agresso North America. "Competition in the industry will continue to drive down service fees, and TMCs still using disparate, independent systems and manual interventions are hard pressed to respond to new situations or requirements. Responsiveness to change should be an early selection criterion when choosing a long-term solution."

PowerList companies that use CentralCommand with Agresso include HRG North America, Omega World Travel, Ovation Travel Group, Inc., Travizon and Adelman Travel Group.

Matt Cummings, COO and CFO of Travizon, Agresso customer and #21 on the PowerList states, "We saw an 11% improvement in productivity and profitability in the first six months alone of using Agresso, and have reduced our technical staff since resources are no longer internally consumed -another $50-75,000 in annual savings."

In challenging economic times, the travel industry, like most other sectors, needs to find ways to control costs and make better business decisions. It's clear that companies using Sabre CentralCommand with Agresso to manage their back-office systems have the necessary visibility into processes and costs to make decisions that put them ahead of their competitors.